May 2011

Dear Friends and Family,

Herewith a no-nonsense update on the latest with the Amsterlings, in order of age.

Zola is doing well, she is an irrepressible character, always willing to push her way into a game or try emotional blackmail to get her way. She has quite a cheerful disposition, with occasional bouts of tempestuousness. Her very latest interests are: Disney’s Sleeping Beauty (Disney finds you, even if you don’t go looking for it), pinkness and princesses generally. She has begun speaking a few phrases to me in English lately, with her cute little Dutch accent.
She’s been having problems with ear infections, an issue that is not totally resolved.





Zephyr is also doing well, he goes to school gladly and comes home happy, so _ what more could we ask? He remains a joy and a mystery to me, interested in lots of things. He reminds me of Seth in many ways. But his number one choice of passtime is clearly television. Outside of that, he’s starting to have more and more friends who share his interest in things like violent Japanese cartoons, Legos, and a little bit of soccer (Ajax supporter). He’s enrolled in a Judo class, which he loves. I think because it’s totally different to the rest of his all-aggression-must-be-stifled Dutch way of life.












Hinke just got back from Italy, where she spent a week helping her brother Marten fix up an old farmhouse he bought with a friend. Yes, I managed the kids on my own, with help on Wednesday from Grandma Riky and Grandpa Lambert. I think the week with me may be part of what sparked Zola into English-ing.

The farmhouse is a whole other story, but the upshot is that we’ll be going ourselves for a week in June. It still lacks many amenities _ such as running water _ but thanks to Hinke and Marten’s good work, apparently the roof no longer leaks. Hinke has also quit her job with the travel agency, seeking more noble & remunerative work, if she can figure out what that would be and get paid. Her latest aim sounds a lot like writing copy for websites. I wonder how much she will enjoy the freelance life; and how we will manage the 1 million days per year the kids seem to have vacation, but we shall see. Yesterday she received her bachelor’s diploma in the mail.
Huh?
The thesis she never finished would have given her a masters, but she had already completed all requirements for the bachelor, and the Dutch rules have since changed such that all she had to do was ask. So, as of today she is now a full-fledged unemployed philosophy major.



I am generally doing well, having received a more thorough examination of my heart from doctors here than I have ever had, and passing with flying colors. Despite not exercising. Sadly, the weight I lost last fall is slowly coming back on.
My boss has announced his retirement as of Oct. 1. For me, that has the undesired consequence that I’m being asked to come back to work full time. I’m not totally sure whether it’s an offer that I can’t refuse, but in any case I probably won’t refuse it. My book is progressing slowly as ever, but I’m still not throwing in the towel despite doubts about whether it will ever be good enough to compete in a world where there are so many good books and so few readers. In any case I now have a deadline of sorts. For now, even if don’t have something finished by October, well, dammit, I’m going to keep working on it anyway.

That said, I have various midlife crisis-type feelings about wanting to change careers, learn computer programming, become a financial analyst, jump out of airplanes, form a rock band, etc.

More news, as I said from youngest to oldest. Happy news: Lambert and Riky have both retired in the past few months. Talk about old, sheesh. We’re all going together to Italy, which should be a lot of fun.




Well, many of you will already be aware of our Cousin Camp dates, but for the record we will be traveling to the U.S. on July 23 and returning Aug. 3.

The shorter trip this year is due in part to the fact that my old friend BEN LEVINE is getting married in late September, in Napa Valley, so I'll be flying back again for that. I’m playing the role of Frodo (ring-bearer, best man). It’s quite an honor.

So that’s the news from here. I hope you all are well,

Love,

Toby & the gang.

PS forgive me, we have so many photos from the past few months, and Lambert takes great ones all the time, but I just chose the first I could find quickly for this letter _ the most recent.